Seed-planter.



J. S. SHAFFER.

SEED PLAN TEE.

APPLICATION FILED AUGIZOI 18H.

1 ,299,626. Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Fly. 1.

q INVENTOR Jagkafl',

ATTORNEY J. S SHAFFER.

SEED PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-20. I917.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY JOSEPH S. SHAFFEB, OF INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI.

SEED-PLAN'IER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 20, 1917. Serial No. 187,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH S. SHArr'ER, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria, and a resident of Independence, in the county of Jackson andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSeed-Planters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for planting seeds, onion sets, andthe like and has for its object to produce a machine for accuratelyplanting at equi-distant spaces and adaptable for varying the spacingand, if desired, the depth of planting of the seed.

More specifically my object is to produce a machine by which thevariation of the spacing can be accomplished by changing the speed ofoperation of the dropping mechanism or varying the number of seedpockets used by plugging-or unplugging one or more of the seed-droppingpockets- A still further object is to produce a simple, strong, durable,compact and inexpensive machine which can be handled by a singleoperator.

With these general objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel and peculiar features of construction and organization of parts ashereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the invention maybe fully understood reference is to be had to the ac-- companyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a broken plan view of amachine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2, is a side view with parts broken away and certain parts insection.

Fig. 3, is a vertical section on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, is a fragmentary view to more clearly show the connectionbetween the shoe and the frame of the machine.

' Fig. 5, is an enlarged fragmentary sectlon of the seed-dropping wheel.

Fig. 6, is an enlarged section taken substantially on the line VI-VI ofFig. 2.

In the said drawings, a frame comprises a pair of side bars 12,connected by a cross bar 3 and an inclined cross bar 4, and transverseshafts 5 and 6 aresecured to the side bars of said frame, clamping nuts7 engaging the opposite ends of shaft 6, clamp firmly against the sidesof said frame, a pair of inclined and rearwardly diverging handles 8. Apair of braces 9 are secured at their upper ends to said handles, and attheir lower ends are provided with a vertical series of perforations 10through certain of which bolts 11 extend to secure the braces to saidframe near the rear end thereof.

A ground wheel 12 is journaled on shaft 6 between a pair of collars 13upon said shaft, and is provided with beveled gears 14, 15 and 16arranged concentrically with respect to the axis of the wheel. At oneside of said wheel a sleeve 17 is slidingly mounted on shaft 6 andterminates at its outer end in an upwardly projecting hook 18, theterminal of the hook being adapted by engagement with side bar 2, tolimit inward movement of the sliding sleeve. At its inner end saidsleeve is provided with a rearwardly proj ecting bearing socket 19wherein is journaled the front end of a shaft 20 extendinglongitudinally of the machine. The shaft extends through a short slot 3in cross bar 3, andis loosely journaled near its rear end in anenlargement 21 of shaft 5. A beveled gear 22 is secured on the rear endof said shaft 20 and meshes with a beveled gear 23 occupying a recess 24in the adjacent face of a seed-dropping wheel 25 journaled on shaft 5between the enlargement 21 thereof and a collar 26 thereon.

The wheel is provided with a series of peripheral pockets 27 and acorresponding series of openings 28. The pockets are adapted forreceiving charges of seed or grain, or for receiving onion sets, one ofwhich is ordinarily a full charge for one of the pockets. For smallgrain or seed the capacity of each pocket can be diminished by fitting acup lining 29 in the pockets, and for very fine seed, an additional cuplining 30 may be fitted within the cup lining 29,-

and said linings can be secured in position by bolts 31 extendingthrough them'and the wheel into the adjacent openings 28, and engagingthe ends of the bolts by retaining nuts 31 as shown by Fig. 5.

Arranged rearward of the seed-dropping wheel is a seed hopper 32provided with a removable top 33 and with a slide valve 34, the latterbeing adjustable toward and from the downwardly and forwardly inclinedbottom of the hopper, which bottom terminates in close proximity to theperiphery of the seed-dropping wheel and-is provided :with:

Patented Apr. 8, 1919. I

a depending lip. 35 paralleling the periphery of thewheelsufii'cientlyto completely cover the pockets and thus prevent any chanceof seedescaping from the pockets without first passing through the-drillsh'oe,hereinafter described, and in order to insure the charging of thepockets as they successively come into communication with the hopper,the inclined or sloping bottom of the latter is provided with a channel35?- tendingtodirect onion sets particularly, into the successivelypresented pockets of-the wheel.

The said hopper forward of the valve is provided With side extensions 36closely embracing-opposite sides of the seed-dropping wheel, and With atop 37 for preventing the dislodgment of seed from the hopper in theevent that the valve is open far enough to permit a considerablequantity of seed to enter the 'space forward of the valve.

Arranged forward of the seed-dropping Wheel is avshoe comprising anupper or leg portion 38yand alower shoe'portion 89fitting-telescopically 'onthe legto permit of;

adjustment for varyingthe depth of plant ing; Aupair of inclined bracerods 4L0 are.

securedrat their upper ends to cross bar 3 tozwhrchthe shoe is alsosecured, and the lower ends ofsaid rods are secured to a cross boltz4lcarried by the' shoe and forminga support fora covering runner t2 and apackmgroller 43", these features being common.

inxseed planters. The upper end of the drill shoeiisclosed by a cover44, and the same extendsover the wheel to the extension of the-hopperand guards against-loss of grain through?'jiolting thereof from thepockets asthermachinel travelsqover a, field;

securedongone' of-the handles Sis a collar: 45 and extending slidinglytlrerethroughrisai a ro'd- 46 provided at; itsrear; end with ahandle/47': At its front end tliGvIOCl. 46 is secured to' a lug 4-8projecting; outwardly from i the rear end of a1 slidable- Wedge $9, thefront end of-said wedge having a headed lug-'50 and arearWardly-projecting hook 5.1, the; latter-1 wheniithe wedge is in itsvwith:- drawmor inoperative osition, as shownby Fig;- 6, overlapping the;inner sideofvthe liookgl8 of-.slee ve';l.7' to hold the latterinitsoutermost position of adjustment, it .beingnoticed that the wedgeis-providedgwith a; longitudinal slot, 52 through which extendsthesh-aft 6;;SOy-th'flt thewedge may. be ad just'ed without interferenceon the 1 part of:

said shaft, and that the Sld6l210fil3h6 frame, isvp-rovided with slots53- and 54: through whichsaid lugs 4:8and50- eXtend and opcrate whentheslidableywedge is moved forwardorzrearward. When it moves forward itforceszthe slidable sleeve 17 inward against the-resistance-zofta spring55iinterp0sed be tween. 'itiandtheadjacent collar: 13, and/saidsplingz-imp arts reverse movement torthe slid.

ingvsleeve when the wedge is drawn rearwardly by the application of arearward pull on the handle 47.

l/Vhen the handle is pushed forward, the wedge is advanced and moves thesleeve inward until arrested through the engagement of its hook portion18 with the: outer side of side bar 2. In this movement the shaft 20 isslightly pivotally operated for the purposeof causinga gear wheel 56secured upon it, to engage one of the gear wheels 1%, 15 or 16 as thecase may be of the supporting wheel 12, it being understood that thewheel 56 is adjusted on shaft 20-130 accommodate the diameter of. theparticular gear wheel; mentioned with which it is desired to estab: lishoperative relationship, it being; obvious that :when' the gear Wheel 56engagesggean' Wheel 14:, the seed-dropping wheelv will-be;

driven at therminimumaispeed and hence the seeddischarged; from the;pockets into ,the shoe 38, will boa-spaced a greater; distanceaparttthanwwhen .the seededropping wheel is drivenv L more rapidly:through the, engagement :of gear :Wheell56 with-gear wheel:15.101-

geari whee1t16, theaengagement withthe. lastnamedwheel: of; coursea=giving: maximum speedofirotation to the said drlving wheel.

If- 'deSi-redone or more-of-the-lining cups for the; pockets may,beeplugged to prevent entrance of seed therein,and-rinuconsequencetherewill be fewer; discharges-of seedinto. the shoe a;correspvonding lyeWider'i Spacing: of" the plantednseeda. ItI-Wil'l thus; be seem that:the: spacing; f the planting can be: I

variedgeither thronglnana adjustment of "the eveled gea-r: 56 or;theipliugg man; nplug: ging; of. onQ ;0r=-;moreof :the- :c1rps of? theseed. dropping wheelii,

Asgthe fu nctigonz. 5 0f;- the-g varioius pai-ts, has been :set forth:ill-1? detail, ,i-tris only desirable to state that; the-anachiineis:intended primarily to berpropellediby a person pushing upon the handles,though 1 it; is, obvious that v the machine may: be. drawnv by draft;animals or othen power. 7 a

From the zabove'i-edescription it ,Wlll, be apparent that I haveproduceda; device;-of.the; character described which possesses ,thefeatures of '1 advantage enumerated; andiwhlile. I have illustrated; anddescribed What now ap;

pears-Z to be 1' the; preferred j embodiment of the invention, itis-:to; 'beamderstoodithat I the frame, a gear Wheel on each end of theshaft, the gear Wheel adjacent the said fixed point in the frame beingpermanently intergeared with one of said first-named Wheels a Wedgenormally guarding against accidental movement of the sleeve inopposition to the spring, and means for sliding the Wedge to release andthen force the sleeve in opposition to said spring, to dispose thegear-wheel-carrying shaft in operative relation to the other of thefirst-named Wheels.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

JOSEPH S. SHAFFER.

Copies of this patentmay be obtained. for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washingtoml).

